User Reviews

Our Users Say

Critic Reviews

Will I keep playing? Absolutely. Gladly. Enthusiastically. Even though character advancement for me has slowed and arguably turned into what you might call a grind, DC Universe remains a sort of comfort food action game. Log in, do a few short instances, call it a night. This isn't the sort of MMO that asks you to park for hours on end several nights in a row. It's more of a co-operative or competitive multiplayer action game, perfect for short intense visits. And because your character doesn't sport rows of tiny icons for a thousand different skills, DC Universe is also perfect for less frequent visits. But I can't help but wonder if the business model -- an MMO style subscription fee -- is going to hurt the game in the long run. DC Universe doesn't play like the sort of game that costs a monthly fee. Instead, it reminds me of what it's like when I'm invested in a shooter like Halo, Team Fortress 2, or Call of Duty. Would I pay $15/month for those games?

Not every game can satisfy every gamer, and I get the feeling that the developers of DCUO have recognized that fact and decided to instead make a game that is considered awesome for a specific type of gamer. They've got a hit on their hands for the fans of Action RPGs, but I feel they've come up a bit short on encouraging and fostering multiplayer activities to the degree that MMOG fans expect. However, they've pulled off two impressive feats. First off, they've successfully launched a top-shelf superhero MMOG. And secondly, they've managed to successfully incorporate action game mechanics into this title in such a way that it will not alienate gamers that are used to a slower pace, but will still deliver pulse-pounding action on par with many single player games. Ultimately, the lack of a sufficiently robust and user-friendly UI, and the premium-level financial barrier of entry, will remain the game's primary blemishes on an otherwise shining report card.

Unfortunately, the problem with button-mashing gameplay is that it doesn't translate well to multiplayer. There are player-vs.-player modes in which you can play as your own character (Arena) or a famous one (Legends), but I found PvP action to be relentlessly hectic, so much so that it was actually boring. I have to end this review, as I do every MMO review, with a caveat: It's early yet, and the quality of an MMO depends on how well it can update its gameplay and maintain a solid player base. However, enough money has been sunk into this project ($50 million) that Sony won't abandon it easily, and the early signs are that it's a terrific game. If you're a fan of action, MMOs, or comic books, and if you're looking to commit a lot of time to a single game, DC Universe Online will not disappoint you.

DCUO has had one of the smoothest, strongest MMO launches to date, and it’s action-oriented design is a bold step out of WoW’s shadow. From the consistently clever boss fights to the daily activities to the points-of-interest around the world, it makes it look effortless to create interesting activities to amuse players and immerse them in the game’s world. Assuming SOE can deliver on its promise to consistently release monthly content updates, DCUO will be a promising leader in an exciting new generation of diverse MMOs.

What DCUO has to offer, though, is that sense of that joyous fun that made us love the DC characters as kids (and love them still, today). Being able to run really fast, straight up the side of a building, or wear a cape, or even just your undies on the outside in public. To fight the good fight, whether you are saving the world from gangsters, or trying to mutate students at the university - to make a difference, for good or for ill.

That said DCUO is great fun to play. The missions are okay, the PVP element is very cool, the graphics, sounds and voice-overs are fabulous. But is it worth £10 a month? I suppose for a couple of months it is, but after that and after you’ve reached level thirty with different characters, unless Sony release some pretty hefty DLC then DCUO will become as barren as the streets of Metropolis.

Overall DC Universe is a good solid MMO, even for those of you unfamiliar with DC Comics. There are a few glitches here and there including some annoying voice chat issues, but they can be expected from such a huge open world game and will hopefully be fixed at some point. Just completing the missions alone will take hours, and although some can become tedious after a while alternative modes will keep you coming back for more.

There's no denying that as MMO launches go, DC Universe Online is a success, and though City of Heroes/City of Villains has been covering this territory for quite some time (without the cache of licensed characters), Sony's game stands out with its fast-paced, action-game combat, slick visuals, and authentic comic book vibe. As with any newly-minted MMO, the game now is probably not what it will become, and whether there is enough depth and content to sustain the monthly subscription price is an unanswered question. For certain though, fans of the beloved DC comics, action gamers, and MMO veterans will all find something to enjoy in DC Universe Online.

DC Universe Online does a great job of creating a fun and accessible MMO for those gamers who want a more action-orientated approach to the genre. There are a few things that need to be fixed by the developers in future updates, but the game is running stable, offers a great experience and is worth the subscription fee.

Overall DC Universe Online is a decent MMO that just doesn’t seem like it would hold the attention of anyone but a big DC comic book fan. It’s pretty cool fighting alongside and against some iconic characters but it wears off after about the 10th level and then things just start to feel like a grind. Another big problem with the game is for an MMO it has a terrible chat system and friend interface. It is probably the worst I’ve seen in almost any MMO but this is something that can be easily patched and updated. Hopefully over time DC Universe Online will improve but for now it’s just very mediocre. If you’re a diehard DC comic fan I would recommend picking it up and playing it through the trial period but if you already play another MMO such as World of Warcraft then there’s not really much difference to justify picking this up.

DC Universe Online is a bold, ambitious and challenging attempt. Each individual element – from the world, combat, character creation and player progression – has clearly had a lot of thought put into. The problem is that in the game’s present state, not all of these elements hang together quite as they should. For every moment of wonder, there is a mundane slog through hordes of brain dead enemies, and for every glorious vista there is a desolate, nondescript street. But, as the saying goes, ‘World of Warcraft wasn’t built in a day’, and the same inevitably applies to here; given more polish and time to evolve, we have every belief that DC Universe Online can break out of the chains of mere-competency and truly take flight. The question is, will enough players stick around and keep paying the £9.99 monthly fee long enough for this potential to be realised? In honesty, we sincerely hope they do, as DC Universe Online’s future could be very exciting indeed.

DCUO's flashy, combo-driven combat and visual pizzazz will draw you in from the beginning and keep you entertained for a few weeks. It's also hard to ignore the license's appeal, which is best showcased in the excellent scenes that play at the end of instanced story missions. Yet DC Universe Online tips its hand early on; in all too short a time, it stops offering any real surprises, remaining approachable but never wading too far from the shallow end of the pool. If you've been around the block and are looking for a new virtual world, this isn't the universe to call home. But if you long to face off with Mr. Freeze or stop The Flash dead in his tracks, this is a fun way to flex your superpowered muscles.

I wish I loved DC Universe Online, but instead I just like it. It's got a lot going for it -- a great license, some superb voice actors, a lot of well-crafted settings, fast action-based combat, and an entire market of people who, so far, have barely been exposed to the MMO genre. It's an important game for MMO developers who for years have been claiming that their title will be multiplatform, only to let that claim sink quietly into obscurity in the months after it is released on the PC. The fact that Sony Online Entertainment has launched an MMO on the PS3, especially in unison with the PC version, is impressive. DCUO is far from a bad game; there are indeed times when it shines fantastically with the potential for greatness, but its many faults, most minor but some quite large, ensure that it never reaches those heights.

DCUO has a lot of potential, but the sloppy design and lack of polish are holding it back. On one hand, the real-time combat system is a true step forward for the genre and an exciting challenge to any future competitor. But on the other hand, a terrible UI, useless social and communication systems, repetitive questing and limited end game content are just not acceptable when there are so many worthy competitors. Additionally, SOE have controversially decided to raise the subscription fee in Australia $5 higher than any other region, making DCUO the most expensive commitment on the market at $20/month. At this price, and with the current questionable state of the game, it makes it difficult to recommend. Unless things change, save your money.

Despite its problems, DC Universe Online still has a lot going for it. It's hard to be overly critical of an MMO that tries so hard to be different and which succeeds in many ways. Even the most casual comic book fans will drool over the lavishly illustrated cutscenes that round off single-player instances and major quest lines, and the accessible combat system embraces many players who would normally avoid the genre. The world is consistently beautiful, and the familiar characters and locations make DCUO uncommonly inviting. Unfortunately, the game's shorter than a modern comic book. Success as this point would require almost monthly content updates to keep most players interested, and we hope that Sony Online Entertainment has many surprises waiting. As it stands, DCUO is just a casual masterwork that any comic book fan should take for a spin, and we fear the $14.99 monthly subscription fee will be the kryptonite that brings this hopeful giant to its knees.

As a standalone online action game – albeit one with improved missions and realistic content pricing – DCUO would almost certainly fare better in the final analysis. But this is a subscription MMO. As such, it needs to be compelling enough to draw you into the world for months – if not years – to come, and reward the significant investment of your time and money. Without changes to some fundamental aspects of the game, it's hard to imagine that the potential for that longevity exists. PC gamers accustomed to feasts of content and polish will likely feel short-changed from their subscription fee once the initial 30 day rush is over.

The result is an enjoyable action-oriented MMO but it leads one to wonder if there is enough here to keep a player paying the monthly fee. With just 30 levels before end-game content and only two major questing zones it begs the question: Will people stay around after their 30 day free trial is over? For large swathes of the playerbase, we’re guessing the answer is ‘no.’

If you’re a hardcore fan, you’re going to be quite disappointed with this as a game. Where you will look for in-jokes and references, you just won’t find them. If you’re a casual reader of comics and like the MMO format, then give this a try. My experience with the game is still very mixed, and I don’t know quite how I feel about the whole thing. I feel like where a game like Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum did so much for both the casual player and life time fan, this falls short of really reaching either on a relatable level. I may come back to this game a year from now, to see if it has matured with time, but as of now, I see no real differences in this that make it anything other than just another MMO in an overcrowded marketplace.

Unless you fancy yourself a hardcore DC comics fan, you'll find little to hold your interest in DCUO in its current state after the first several hours of gameplay. SOE has demonstrated that they're diligently working on fixing the bugs that have hindered the game post-launch, but they've been tight-lipped on what we can expect to see in further content updates (and, more importantly, if they'll charge for them). The problem with reviewing an MMO is that they're in a constant state of flux, and this review that you're reading today could be rendered completely irrelevant in a matter of weeks. But, as the game stands right now, I'd recommend waiting a bit and seeing how things evolve over the coming months. Hopefully, someday soon, DCUO will be worth more of your time and money.

Getting to the next level in DC Universe Online is your only reward, there’s no great storyline here or deep characters to invest in, which is a waste of the IP Sony has bought in to. This could be Champions Online if it weren’t for the odd bit of dialogue with some recognisable NPCs, except that Champions Online is now entirely free to play. You never feel empowered or that you’re doing anything comic-book-wonderful, just the faint twinge of regret that you’re sinking time into a product giving nothing back in return. With little to offer players beyond that of being an MMO on a console, DCUO is an expensive and dramatically flawed title, providing an experience that is significantly bettered by a Bat-cave full of other games of the same genre – many of them free to play – on PC.

And in the end, I enjoyed myself. Grumbles aside, I had a good time with DCUO, and don’t hesitate recommending checking it out for a month if you’re at all interested in a new comicbook MMO. It’s one of the most refreshing I’ve played for ages, a much better superhero game than either Champions or City of Assorted Superpeople. When it dares to be different, it does so damn well. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t quite go far enough to break out of its MMO roots, and truly become the legend it comes so close – so close! – to being.